Community, Off Script

At the beginning of 2026, I made five predictions about where I thought community building was headed. Nine months later, it’s time to check my homework.

In the first episode of Season 2 of Community, Off Script, I’m revisiting those predictions — from measuring community beyond vanity metrics and the role of founder presence to freemium models, community investment and the education gap around what it actually takes to build, operate and sustain a community.

Some of those predictions held up. Some have evolved. And a few things have emerged that I didn’t see coming at all.

I’m also sharing what nine months of working directly with founders and organizations has taught me about where community building is headed now: why founder presence shouldn’t mean founder dependence, why people are looking for more and better ways to connect, the continued rise of IRL experiences, and why community is showing up in places we may not even call “community.”

Plus, I share some of the questions I think founders and community builders should be asking as we head into the final months of 2026.

Welcome back to Community, Off Script. Season 2 starts now.

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Links mentioned

The Community Infrastructure Assessment™: https://bit.ly/4rHZJ6b

Join The Collective, powered by The World Builders: https://www.theworldbuilders.co/

This episode is a special one.

After conversations with Brittney Oliver, Jordan Hernandez, and Bethany Hawkins, one theme kept resurfacing over and over again:

The being behind community building.

We spend so much time talking about community strategy, audience engagement, systems, content, moderation, and scaling frameworks involved in building online communities — but we rarely talk about the human being behind the work.

In this solo episode of Community, Off Script, I explore how to build community sustainably without burning out. From community strategy and audience engagement to bandwidth, integration, and intentional growth, this episode unpacks the often-overlooked human side of community building.

I share reflections on sustainable community building, founder burnout, overgiving, integration, personal rhythms, and what it looks like to build communities that support both the audience and the builder.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How to build communities sustainably through seasons and rhythm

• How to conduct a personal and professional community audit

• The emotional cost of overgiving in community building

• Integration vs. constant content consumption

• The difference between the “doing” and “being” of community building

I also share personal reflections from:

• running multiple communities simultaneously
• stepping away from communities that no longer aligned
• rebuilding her relationship with intentional community participation
• learning through failure while building SheNotedd
• integrating lessons from masterminds, coaching programs, and writing retreats into her work today

Whether you’re building an online community, leading a membership, growing a creator-led business, or trying to create deeper audience engagement, this episode offers practical reflections on sustainable community building and avoiding burnout as a founder or community leader.

Resources Mentioned

🎧 Episode 3 with Brittney Oliver

🎧 Episode 7: Systems

🎧 Episode 8: Scale

🎧 Episode 9 with Bethany Hawkins

Connect with Lauren / Notedd

4S Community Audit

www.form.typeform.com/to/kzllGq6xCommunity Clarity Blueprint Sessions

www.notedd.com/community-clarity-blueprint
Notedd

www.notedd.com

LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-strayhorn-mps/
Substack

www.substack.com/@wearenotedd/note/p-196135068?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=1bt52w

If you’ve ever wondered how to build a community through podcasting, most people will tell you to “just start talking.”

But as this conversation with Bethany Hawkins reveals, building a community isn’t the hard part — sustaining it is.

Bethany Hawkins, founder of Crackers In Soup, joins Community, Off Script for a conversation on storytelling, podcasting, discernment, sustainability, and what it really means to build communities rooted in alignment instead of performance.

Together, we unpack why “know thyself” may be the most important principle in community building.

From understanding your bandwidth and values to recognizing when a community no longer fits who you are becoming, this episode explores the deeper work behind creating spaces people actually want to stay in.

We also talk about:

• How podcasting creates deeper storytelling and connection in a short-form content world
• Why knowing your “why” matters before building a community
• The difference between creating a community vs. sustaining one
• Using podcasts to intentionally build audiences for books, brands, and businesses
• Why alignment, discernment, and energy matter in both clients and communities
• Finding your own rhythm without burning out
• The importance of bandwidth, delegation, and understanding your season of life

At the center of it all is one reminder: Community isn’t just about gathering people.
It’s about creating spaces rooted in clarity, connection, and sustainability.

And that starts with knowing yourself.

✨ Resources Mentioned

🎧 Episode 3 with Brittney Oliver(Community, seasons, and finding your rhythm)https://open.spotify.com/episode/76Uda1eP7IHWlCMtmfHINa?si=zraMvYZFRcm7ggaNcuMaIQ

🎧 Episode 4: Strategy(Why your “why” and transformation matter in community building)
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4UUdg1S4n8hBFZ3OsMxJMk?si=wEDNahYLSpKukkWUhm8qVw

📺 Global Mind Apparel on YouTube(Positive storytelling + uplifting short-form content)https://www.youtube.com/@globalmindapparel

🌐 Bethany Hawkins + Crackers In Soup

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crackersinsoup/

Website: https://crackersinsoup.com/

✨ Work With Lauren / Notedd

🧠 Community Blueprint Session

💼 Connect on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-strayhorn-mps/

📬 Subscribe on Substack

🎙️ About Bethany Hawkins

Bethany Hawkins is the founder and driving force behind Crackers In Soup, an award winning podcast production company dedicated to helping underrepresented women bring their voice and vision to life through podcasting. At Crackers In Soup, they believe that all marginalized women have a story worth telling, and they're here to make sure that story shines.

In this episode, I walk through the fourth and final “S” in the 4S Framework: Scale—and why most people misunderstand what it actually means.

You’ll learn how to:

• Scale a community without relying on constant content creation
• Build systems that allow your community to run without you
• Use member-led growth to reduce your marketing workload
• Create a revenue strategy that supports long-term sustainability

The 4 Levers of Sustainable Community Growth

1. Member-Led Growth
   Turn your members into your biggest advocates through referrals, testimonials, and shared wins
2. Freemium Model
   Use free and paid tiers to build trust, increase access, and create natural conversion points
3. Delegation
   Stop doing everything yourself and build support systems (team, members, or automation)
4. Revenue Strategy
   Design a community that contributes to your business—whether through direct monetization or as a funnel

Key Takeaway

Scaling your community isn’t about adding more people.

It’s about:

• Creating more value with less of your time
• Building something that doesn’t depend on you to survive
• Growing impact in a way that feels sustainable

Resources & Next Step

Listen to previous episodes in the 4S series:

• Strategy
• Simplify
• Systems

Connect with Lauren

Want support building your community? Book a Community Blueprint Session: www.notedd.com/community-clarity-blueprint

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-strayhorn-mps/
• Website: www.notedd.com
• Kit: www.notedd.kit.com
• Substack: www.substack.com/@wearenotedd

In this episode, I break down the third “S” in the 4S Framework: Systems — and why structure is what actually makes a community work.

While it’s easy to assume that the right people will naturally engage once they’re brought together, community building requires something deeper: clear systems that guide how people show up, connect, and participate.

I share my own experience building a community that didn’t take off — not because the people or the idea weren’t right, but because the structure wasn’t there to support it.

We cover:

• Why communities go quiet after the initial launch
• Why this isn’t a motivation problem — it’s a systems problem
• What members are actually looking for when they join a community
• The three core systems every community needs: onboarding, engagement rhythms, and a community calendar

Your homework this week:

Start with your foundation (from Episodes 4 and 5):

• Who is your community for?
• What transformation are you providing?
• What are you offering?
• What platform are you committed to?

Then begin building your systems:

• Map out your first two weeks of onboarding
• Define a realistic engagement rhythm you can sustain
• Create a simple 90-day community calendar

Need one-on-one support with your community strategy? Join a focused session where we map this out together.

Resources mentioned:

The 4 S's Community Infrastructure Audit www.form.typeform.com/to/kzllGq6x⁠

Community Clarity Blueprint Session ⁠www.notedd.com/community-clarity-blueprint⁠

Community Building Planner ⁠www.notedd.com/communitybuildingplanner⁠

Episode 4 – Strategy First: The Three Questions Every Community Needs https://open.spotify.com/episode/4UUdg1S4n8hBFZ3OsMxJMk?si=wEDNahYLSpKukkWUhm8qVw

Episode 5 – The Second S: Why Simplifying Your Platform Is the Key to Community Growth

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1bYfTX31pZUq6a1ZwVinVA?si=JS96Ha1wSzC4Y3HHKHCCTg

Rachel Rodgers's Hello Seven

⁠https://helloseven.co/mastermind/⁠

In this episode, I sit down with Jordan Hernandez, founder of Completely Booked, a multi-platform literary community that brings readers and authors together through live conversations, curated events, and digital content.

What started as sharing book recommendations online quickly turned into something much deeper. From hosting her first virtual book club during the pandemic to building an intentional community people consistently show up for, Jordan shares how Completely Booked became a space rooted in connection, perspective, and trust.

We get into what actually creates that shift — from content to community — and why community building has less to do with strategy and more to do with intention. Jordan also shares how diverse perspectives shape the experience, why she made the decision to never record her book clubs, and how creating safety for both participants and authors has been foundational to her growth.

Plus: why separating your content from your community might be the most important thing you can do as a builder — especially in a world where everything is optimized for visibility.

In this episode:

• How Completely Booked grew from a simple idea into a multi-platform experience
• Why diversity of perspectives makes people feel seen and heard
• Why psychological safety matters for both the audience and the creator
• How to build trust through intentional curation and inclusion
• Why consistency matters more than having a perfect strategy
• How Jordan thinks about boundaries as a community builder

Memorable moments:

• The moment Jordan realized she wasn’t just building content—but community
• Why she made the decision to never record book club conversations
• How including authors transforms the dynamic of the space

Connect with Jordan Hernandez:

• Completely Booked: https://www.instagram.com/_completelybooked/
• Jordan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjordanrae/
• Jordan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-hernandez-51672480/

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-strayhorn-mps/⁠⁠
• Website: ⁠⁠https://www.notedd.com⁠⁠

Resources mentioned:

• The 4 S's Community Infrastructure Audit: ⁠⁠https://form.typeform.com/to/kzllGq6x⁠⁠ Community
• Clarity Blueprint Session: ⁠⁠https://www.notedd.com/community-clarity-blueprint⁠⁠
  

In this episode, I break down the second “S” in the 4S Framework: Simplify — and why choosing one platform is essential for building a real community.

While traditional marketing encourages being everywhere your audience is, community building requires something different: a shared space where connection can actually happen.

I explore the hidden costs of trying to maintain presence across multiple platforms — from burnout to fragmented engagement — and explain why depth, consistency, and clarity matter more than reach when building community.

If you’ve been feeling stretched thin or unsure where your community actually lives, this episode will help you refocus and build with intention.

We cover:

• Why being everywhere works for audience growth, but not for community
• The two ways overextending across platforms shows up (and why both work against you)
• Why community requires one shared space to build trust and consistency
• How to choose the right platform based on your strategy, content, and engagement

Your homework this week:
Start with your strategy (from Episode 4):

• Who is your community for?
• What transformation are you providing?
• What are you offering?

Then run a simple platform audit:

• Where are you currently showing up?
• Where is your audience actually engaging?
• Where can you realistically be consistent?

From there, choose one platform and commit to it as the home for your community.

Need one-on-one support with your community strategy? Join a focused session where we map this out together.

Resources mentioned:

The 4 S's Community Infrastructure Audit:
www.form.typeform.com/to/kzllGq6x

Community Clarity Blueprint Session:⁠www.notedd.com/community-clarity-blueprint⁠

Community Building Planner:
www.notedd.com/communitybuildingplanner

Episode 4 - Strategy First: The Three Questions Every Community Needs:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4UUdg1S4n8hBFZ3OsMxJMk?si=wEDNahYLSpKukkWUhm8qVw

Luvvie Ajayi Jones's The Book Academy:
https://thebookacademy.com/

Rachel Rodgers's Hello Seven:
https://helloseven.co/mastermind/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-strayhorn-mps/⁠

Website: www.notedd.com⁠

In this episode, I'm breaking down the framework I use with every client who wants to turn an audience into a community.

Because what I've been seeing — both in my own work and with the founders I support — is that most people don’t get the results they want from community building because they chose the wrong platform or didn’t post enough.

More often, it’s because they skipped strategy.So we're starting there.

I walk through the first S in my 4S Framework — Strategy — and why everything else depends on it. And I share the three questions I always come back to before building anything: who the community is for, what transformation it provides, and what you're actually offering.

We cover:

• Why being too broad makes it harder for people to see themselves in your community
• The conversation with my mentor that pushed me to get specific — and how that changed everything for Notedd
• The three questions to answer before you build anything
• A real client example (Joy, a beauty brand founder) and what intentional strategy looks like in practice

If you've been thinking about building a community — or trying to figure out why yours isn't clicking yet — this is where I would start.

Your homework this week: open a doc or grab a notebook and answer the three questions. That's your strategy. Everything else builds from there.

If you want support thinking through your own community strategy, I also offer a focused session where we map this out together.

Resources mentioned:

• The 4 S's Community Infrastructure Audit: www.form.typeform.com/to/kzllGq6x
• Community Clarity Blueprint Session: www.notedd.com/community-clarity-blueprint

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-strayhorn-mps/
• Website: www.notedd.com

Timestamps

00:00 — Welcome + Host Intro

00:34 — Why Strategy Comes First

01:43 — The Cost of Being Too Broad

03:18 — Getting Specific Changed Everything

04:36 — Why the Conventional Advice Breaks Down

05:27 — Strategy: The Three Questions

06:10 — Question 1: Who Is It For?

07:52 — Question 2: What Transformation Does It Provide?

09:02 — Question 3: What Are You Offering?

09:53 — Client Story: Joy's Three-Tier Model

12:10 — Your Homework This Week

13:17 — Recap, Next Steps + Audit

What does it actually take to build community that lasts — not an audience, not a marketing funnel, but something real?

In this episode, I sit down with Brittney Oliver, Forbes-recognized marketing professional and founder of Lemons to Lemonade, to trace the decade-long journey behind one of the most intentional community-building brands out there. It started with 100+ job interviews in eight months, a viral LinkedIn post, and a question: what if people didn't have to feel so alone in this?

We get into the difference between audience building and genuine community, the emotional and financial weight of creating spaces for others, and how Brittney designs events that meet people where they are — panels, happy hours, candle-making, all of it. She also opens up about a health challenge in 2022 and losing her mother in 2023, and how those seasons reshaped how she shows up as a builder and as a person.

Plus: why "community" becoming a marketing KPI is frustrating everyone who's been doing this work for real — and what brands should be doing instead.

In this episode:

• Why the difference between audience building and community building actually matters
• What 100+ job interviews taught Brittney about shame, isolation, and asking for help
• How Brittney engineers events that reduce networking anxiety — and why format is everything
• The real emotional and financial cost of sustaining a community long-term
• Why honoring your seasons of productivity might be the most underrated strategy in entrepreneurship
• What happened when Brittney tried to push through grief — and what she learned when she finally stopped
• Why "community" has become a marketing buzzword and what we lose when it does
• What's non-negotiable as Lemons to Lemonade heads into its 10th year

Connect with Brittney Oliver:

• Website & Newsletter: www.brittneyoliver.com
• Substack — Lemons to Lemonade: substack.com/home/post/p-189962253
• Instagram: @bsoliver
• Lemons to Lemonade IG: @lemons_2_lemonade
• LinkedIn: Brittney Oliver

Resources mentioned:

• The 4 S's Community Infrastructure Audit: www.form.typeform.com/to/kzllGq6x
• Community Clarity Blueprint Session: www.notedd.com/community-clarity-blueprint

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-strayhorn-mps/
• Website: www.notedd.com

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00:00 Welcome to the Show01:23 Meet Brittany Oliver03:15 Mindset Behind Lemons04:31 100 Interviews and Shame09:07 Viral Post to Real Space11:53 Networking Rooms That Exclude14:24 Audience vs Community16:46 Defining Community Today18:36 Community as Shared Space19:15 The Hidden Costs of Hosting21:53 Seasons of Productivity22:44 Hard Lemons and Grief24:18 Pushing Through Grief24:58 Choosing Rest and Seasons26:37 Community Holds You Up30:26 Designing Connection Experiences34:06 Community vs Audience Building42:49 Nonnegotiables and Next Chapter

In this episode, I'm breaking down the framework I use with every client who wants to turn an audience into a revenue-generating community.

Last episode, I shared my 5 predictions for what's shifting in community building. This episode is about how to actually do it—with a clear, actionable framework that works whether you're just getting started or you're already running a community that feels chaotic.

In this episode:

• Why most people skip Strategy (and why that's the biggest mistake)
• How to pick ONE platform and commit (without second-guessing yourself)
• The systems that keep your community running without you being online 24/7
• What Scale actually looks like—and why it comes last
• A real client story: How skipping Strategy led to crickets (and how we fixed it)

Plus, I'm introducing the Community Clarity Blueprint Session—a focused 60-minute strategy session where we map your personalized roadmap to build and grow your community (no overwhelm, no burnout, no guesswork).

Resources mentioned:

• The 4 S's Community Infrastructure Audit: www.form.typeform.com/to/kzllGq6x
• Community Clarity Blueprint Session: www.notedd.com/community-clarity-blueprint

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-strayhorn-mps/
• Website: www.notedd.com